In Purgatory
by pseudanonymous
Summary: Change can be difficult at the best of times, but when everything you've ever known is turned on its head in an instant, it can be even harder to negotiate. An attempt at a darker, more realistic gloss on events that transpire towards the end of the movie.


_**Author's Note:**__ this is an attempt at a somewhat darker, more realistic gloss on the climactic tower scene, as well as an explanation of the events that (might) occur between that and Rapunzel and Eugene's return to the kingdom. Those of you who have read my other 'Tangled' story to date, 'A Lover's Discourse', and are expecting more of the same – sorry, this is a bit different; I'm secretly a sucker for angst. I also apologise for the fact that this first section is essentially a re-telling, rather than original content per se; however, in the context of what will follow, it's needed to set the scene._

_This story takes place over the course of about a week from beginning to end. I anticipate M-worthy events later on. Thank you for reading, and as ever, reviews and/or critique are gratefully received._

* * *

For a few moments, Eugene is not entirely sure what has just happened. There's a sharp stinging sensation in his right side, and across the room Rapunzel's eyes widen, frantic. Clutching at his belly, he can feel warmth and wetness spreading beneath his hands. Lifting one away to look, he sees a flash of red across his palm. His knees feel weak beneath him, and he stumbles, falling onto the flagstones.

Though gagged, Rapunzel tries desperately to call his name, to crawl across to reach him, but to no avail. The woman she'd thought was her mother has chained Rapunzel to the wall like a dog. She feels sickened as she watches Gothel step calmly over Eugene, who lies bleeding on the floor, and stride towards her.

'Don't worry, dear', she hears Gothel say. 'Our secret will die with him.'

_Die?_ Rapunzel has heard of death, but it's an abstract concept for her, something she's read about, but never experienced. But then again, what did she know of life until yesterday? And Eugene was the one that showed it to her, that brought it within her grasp. He is so full of life; how can he suddenly be emptied of it?

Then Gothel is pulling on the chains, hauling Rapunzel towards a flight of stairs that until this morning she never knew existed. She fights back with every ounce of strength she has, kicking and struggling. Broken glass bites into the soles of her bare feet, but still she labours on. Straining at her bonds, Rapunzel watches in horror as a callous Gothel catches sight of Pascal and kicks him clean across the room.

'Rapunzel!' barks her captor. 'Stop fighting me!'

A sudden twist, and the gag is dislodged. 'No!' the girl cries. 'I won't stop! For every minute, for the rest of my life, I will fight… I will never stop trying to get away from you!'

This is all she has left. Rapunzel prays it will be enough.

'But if you let me save him, I will go with you.'

'No!' The pain in his side is spreading, his wound now throbbing unbearably, but Eugene cannot let this happen. He tries to right himself, to protest more forcefully, but his body will no longer obey him. He can only listen as the girl trades her soul for his.

'I'll never run, I'll never try to escape. Just let me heal him, and you and I will be together, forever, just like you want… everything will be the way it was… I promise. Just like you want.' Rapunzel struggles to catch her breath, her voice heavy with emotion. One last plea.

'_Just let me heal him_.'

Somehow, it works. Somewhere inside Gothel, there remains a shred of pity; or perhaps it is fear for the state of her own immortal soul. Still, she unchains Rapunzel; the girl will not flee. In her stead, Gothel drags the boy to the bannisters. It will not do to have him coming after them once he is whole again. Shackling his wrist, she casts a lustful eye over his face, his body; criminal or not, Gothel cannot deny that he is a handsome young man. If they were only meeting under different circumstances, she thinks, she might have liked to get to know him more intimately. What does he see in plain, naïve little Rapunzel? It isn't just the magic. Gothel had been certain that once he got his hands back on the crown, that would be the last they'd see of Flynn Rider. Yet here he is, somehow.

'Eugene!'

Rapunzel rushes towards him, and cradles his face in her hands. In the back of her mind, she thinks that perhaps she should feel more conflicted; just yesterday they were this close, his lips almost against hers… and then he abandoned her. Or so she thought. That morning, walking back to the tower, she'd felt broken inside. Seeing the lanterns, sharing her dream with Eugene, had been the best moment of her life. She'd never imagined that only minutes later, she'd experience the worst.

But now Rapunzel feels yet another new emotion, perhaps more potent still than heartbreak – she feels terror. It's different from the kinds she's faced so far. She's feared for her life on more than one occasion over the last few days, but now she fears for his. She's never healed an injury this grave before. What if it doesn't work? What then?

Eugene's breaths are laboured and painful as Rapunzel carefully moves his garments aside, trying to examine his wound. There is blood everywhere. It blossoms red against the white of his shirt, leaves the leather of his jerkin dark and slick. Blood stains the floor, and his hands; now it stains her own.

'Oh, I'm so sorry…' Rapunzel murmurs as she tries to wrap her hair around Eugene's waist. 'Everything is going to be okay in a moment, I promise…'

'No, Rapunzel…'

'…you have to trust me. Come on, just breathe...'

'No…' His grip is weak, but Eugene tries desperately to push the girl's hands away. 'I can't let you do this...'

Rapunzel's anguish is etched on her face as she whispers, 'and I can't let you die.'

'But if you do this… then you… will die...'

'Hey…' Rapunzel forces a smile. 'It's going be all right.'

Eugene smiles back wanly. Rapunzel draws in a deep breath, and prepares to sing, but at the last moment, he stops her.

'Rapunzel… wait…'

She pauses, and turns to meet his gaze. Eugene brings his hand to her face, and brushes away a stray lock of hair. He knows what he has to do.

He wants to make this as easy for Rapunzel as he can. It takes all the strength that remains to him, but Eugene leans in as naturally as he can manage. He wants to kiss her; God, he wants to kiss her. One last kiss… one that might actually mean something. But there isn't time for that.

He's had the mirror shard palmed for some time. He can only hope that it's sharp enough to do the job. Eugene knows he only has one chance, one shot at doing this, and he doesn't think he can hold himself together much longer. So he makes his move.

The glass slices through the rope of hair with surprising ease. It is done. He is done. The piece of mirror clatters to the ground as Eugene's hand slackens, its owner giving in to the welcome embrace of unconsciousness.

'Eugene!' gasps Rapunzel. 'Why…?'

The girl clutches at her head, so light all of a sudden. The burden of eighteen years falls to the floor, darkening before her eyes.

'No!' Gothel leaps forward from the shadows, her voice shrill with anger, with panic. 'No no no… what have you done… _what have you done_?'

Rapunzel looks on as Gothel gathers up the remains of the golden hair, like a drowning woman adrift clinging desperately to a life line. It is hopeless; in the blink of an eye, the gold is gone, transformed to a rich, chestnut brown. However, Rapunzel's hair is not the only thing that is changed. Gothel, the tall, haughty beauty, is suddenly replaced by a wizened, white-haired old woman. Catching sight of herself in the broken mirror, the hag shrieks and claws at her hideous face, drawing the hood of her cloak ever further over her head. She staggers about the room like one possessed.

In the end, it is Pascal that seizes the moment. Taking the long, shorn hair in his mouth, he pulls it tight across the floor, and sure enough, the old woman stumbles. Instinctively Rapunzel reaches towards her, but it is already too late. The girl watches dumbstruck as Gothel plummets from the open window, howling and plucking at the air. For a few moments her screams resound painfully in Rapunzel's ears, but soon they fade to nothing. Gothel is gone.

Rapunzel does not have time to process the strange and terrible events she has just witnessed, however. Eugene remains slumped on the ground at her feet, motionless. He is pale, almost grey; for a dreadful moment, she fears that he is already dead.

The girl launches herself across the floor, and dragging Eugene's head into her lap, searches his face for signs of life.

'No no no no no…' she stutters. His head feels heavy in her hands, whilst blood is beginning to pool beneath his body. Rapunzel panics. Her own heart is thundering in her chest, but she cannot seem to feel Eugene's, nor hear him breathe. In desperation, she calls out his name, strokes his hair, his face. After what feels like an eternity, Eugene coughs, then with a rattling gasp sucks in an unsteady breath.

He lies listless in Rapunzel's arms as the girl makes one last, desperate attempt to save his life. Grabbing Eugene's hand, she presses it against her newly-cropped hair. Her voice is cracked and uneven as she tries to hurry through the healing incantation. She manages to finish the first verse, but nothing happens; the magic is lost.

Such is Rapunzel's concentration that at first she doesn't notice that Eugene's eyelids are open a sliver, that he is whispering her name.

'Rapunzel…'

She fights back tears, tries to compose her features. 'What?'

Eugene knows that his time is running short. It hurts to breathe, but he must get these words out. He needs for her to have known.

'You were my new dream.'

Rapunzel beams despite herself, despite everything. 'And you were mine!'

It is more than he ever hoped for. The faintest of smiles plays on Eugene's lips for a moment as Rapunzel squeezes his hand.

And then he is gone.


End file.
